Pump



July 9, 1968 J, KQZA 3,391,645

PUMP

Filed Nov. 5, 1966 JoJepfi 0. #027 INVENTOR.

Jmuas FWEJLER y WILLARM A. sTou-r Doom! R. Donn-1 12.

Hana? W. HoPe ATTORNEYJ United States Patent 3,391,645 PUMP Joseph D.Koza, 7816 Oak Vista, Houston, Tex.

Filed Nov. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 591,889 Claims. (Cl. 103-453) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to pumping apparatus andmore particularly to hand-operated, portable pumps.

A problem that occurs to motorists not too infrequently, is that ofrunning out of gas on the open highway. When this happens, and if aservice station is not readily available, a great deal of trouble isusually encountered. The least time consuming solution to this problemis siphoning gasoline from another persons car, assuming that the otherperson is willing.

The normal method of siphoning gasoline, however, is rather difficultand sometimes dangerous, since it must be started by someone sucking ona siphon tube. This could obviously result in a mouthful of gasolinewith obvious ill effects.

The present invention seeks to provide a compact, portable, easilyoperated pump which may be carried in the trunk of the car for suchemergencies. The pump is hand operated and is quite small, requiringlittle space for storage. It is, furthermore, extremely light in weightsince it may be composed entirely of plastic. Furthermore, the pump maybe easily operated by a woman or a child since little force is requiredto operate the pump due to a novel construction for the piston used inthe pump.

The pump includes other novel features such as uniquely constructedvalves composed of only two parts and being operated by the positive andnegative pressures that are established in the piston chamber by theaction of the piston.

Such a pump has numerous other uses around the home, oflice or business.For example, the necessity of the storage of gasoline for powerlawnmowers, garden tractors, etc., can be eliminated along with theresultant hazards, due to the fact that gasoline may be taken easily andquickly from the family automobile for this purpose. It may be used fora portable Sump pum for boat bottoms. Gaseous matter may also be pumpedwith the present invention.

The present invention is so compact and lightweight that it may bemounted as an accessory to the item with which it is to be used. Sinceit may be constructed entirely from plastic, it may be used to pump highexplosive gases and fluids without the usual danger of sparking bymetallic parts. Such plastic construction also provides corrosionresistance as well as allowing the parts of the pump to be fusedtogether, whereby complete seals are insured. Furthermore, the pump maybe sterilized.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide acompact, lightweight pump for portable use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide ahand-operated pump which requires only a small force to operate.

3,391,645 Patented July 9, .1968

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a pumpwhich includes a novel design for its piston, this novel design allowingthe pump to be manufactured inexpensively, but insuring a tight sealwith the piston chamber while requiring the minimum of force to move thepiston.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a pumphaving a novel design for the valves used therein, which valves may bemanufactured cheaply and are simple in design and operation.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a pump,the operative parts of which may be manufactured entirely from plasticto eliminate the hazard of sparking when pumping explosive fluids orgases and to eliminate any deleterious effects on the pump when pumpingcorrosive substances.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent fromthe following description of a presently preferred embodiment of aninvention given for the purpose of disclosure, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein like character references designatelike parts throughout the several views, and where:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention,taken in section for purposes of illustration,

FIGURE 2 is a side-section view of the piston utilized in FIGURE 1showing the configuration of the piston when it is being operated,

FIGURE 3 is a side-section view of a second embodiment of the pistonutilized in the present invention,

FIGURE 4 is a side-section View of a valve used in the presentinvention, the flapper being in an open position, and

FIGURE 5 is a section view of the valve shown in FIGURE 4 and takenalong section lines 55 of FIG- URE 4, the flapper being shown in itsclosed position.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the pump is composed of acylindrical, enclosed housing or piston chamber generally indicated at10. The chamber is made up of cylinder 12 and cylinder heads 14 and 16.Located near the head 16 are inlet and outlet openings, generallyindicated by the numerals 18 and 20, respectively. Forming a part of theexterior side of the head 16 is an outstanding socket 22, to which isattached a suction cup 24. The suction cup 24 it attached to the socket22 by stud 26 extending from the cup 24. The stud 26 may be secured inthe opening by any conven tional means, such as sonic welding, gluing,etc. A stabilizer ring 28 is located on the exterior surface of the head16. This stabilizer 28 is a circular upstanding flange and acts againstthe suction cup 24 when the cup is attached to a support surface toprevent undesired movement of the pump while the pumping action takesplace.

Turning now to the cylinder head 14, a central gland 30 is located inthe place 14 to allow the piston rod 32 to move into and out of thepiston chamber 10 in a reciprocating manner. The rod 32 in thisembodiment has a cross-section in the shape of a cross as is shown. Itis understood, of course, that the cross-sectional area of the shaft maybe any desired shape. The particular configuration shown was selected soas to eliminate a heavy section which would materially increase themolding cycle.

cated in diametrically opposed positions in the piston chamber. They arecomposed of outwardly extending valve chests 36 and 38 respectively. Thevalve covers 40 and 42 have shoulders 44 and 46, respectively, forengagement in the open ends of the valve chests 36 and 38. The shoulders44 and 46 are dimensioned so as to provide an interference fit with thevalve chests 36 and 38 when inserted therein. The radial flanges 48 and50 may be sonically welded or glued to the valve chests 36 and 38,respectively, to insure a complete seal. The valve covers 40 and 42 alsohave outwardly extending spigots 52 and S4 for mating engagement withthe conveying tubes 56 and 58, whereby the pump communicates with thecontainers from which the fluid is to be withdrawn and to which thefluid is to be pumped.

Turning now to the piston 60 used in the present invention, andreferring to FIGURE 2, the piston is composed generally of a central orhub portion 62 having an opening 64 for the attachment of the rod 32.Extending outwardly from the hub 62 is the body portion 66 of thepiston. The body portion 66 conforms to the configuration of the chamberand extends to within a short distance from the sidewall 12. The bodyportion 66 is made relatively flexible whereby it will bow slightly whenunder pressure. At the edge of the body portion, generally indicated bythe numeral 68, two resilient lips 70 and 72 extend outwardly atdivergent angles. The edges 74 and 76 of the lips 70 and 72,respectively, are of greater diameter than the center and are the onlyportions of the lips that contact the walls of the cylinder when thepiston is not moving. When the piston is in motion, however, additionalportions of the leading lip will contact the sidewalls as will be morefully explained below.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, there is shown a second embodiment of thepiston which constitutes a part of the present invention. This piston160 comprises two elements 156 and 158, whereas the previously discussedembodiment is of single unit construction. The main unit or part 156 ofthe piston comprises a hub portion 162 having an opening 164, therein,and a body portion 166. In this respect, the pistons shown in FIGURES 2and 3 are identical. The lips 170 and 172 and their rims 174 and 176 areidentical to the corresponding part of the embodiment in FIGURE 2, butare formed as part of a separate unit 153.

The edge portion 168 of the central or main body of the embodiment ofFIGURE 3 substantially differ from the edge 68 of the embodiment inFIGURE 2. The edge 168 is enlarged and carries a peripheral groove 178in the edge face 184, which is essentially at right angles to the bodyportion 166. The separate unit 158 is an angular ring having on itsouter surface the lips 170 and 172 and on its inner surface 182 aperipheral pertuberance or ridge 189. The surfaces 182 and 184 areformed for mating engagement so that when the rib 180 is interlockedwith the groove 178, an air tight seal is formed throughout the entiresurfaces 182 and 184. The surface 184 of the ring 158 is so dimensionedthat its inside diameters are slightly smaller than the outsidediameters of the corresponding portions on the face 184 of the edge 158.When the ring 158 is in place, therefore, a tight fit is formed betweenthe units 158 and 156. The body portion 166 of the inner part 156 hasthe same flexibility as does the corresponding portion 166 of theembodiment of FIGURE 2. Likewise, the lips 170 and 172 of this secondembodiment have the same resiliency as do the lips 70 and 72.

Turning now to FIGURES 4 and 5, the construction of the valves used inthe present invention is shown in greater detail. FIGURE 4 shows a sideview of the two basic elements of the valve, the collar 78 and theflapper 81). The collar is a cylindrical member having an internalradially extending flange 82. The flange 82 has an axially extending lipor rim 84 which forms the valve seat. A somewhat restricted opening 86is formed by the flange 4 82 and its lip 84, through which the fluidbeing pumped passes when the flappper is in its open position, as shownin FIGURE 4. Support means for the flapper is provided by surfaces 88and which are formed in the sidewall of the collar by the slot 92.

The design of the flapper 80 can best be seen in FIG- URE 5. It iscomposed essentially of a disc portion 94 having extending from the topthereof, and from either side, shoulders 96 and 98. The shoulders reston the supporting surfaces 88 and 90 respectively, whereby the disc isfreely suspended within collar 78. As can be seen in FIGURE 4, the slot92 is formed adjacent the seating rim 84, whereby the suspended disc isrelatively close to, if not in contact with, the rim 84 when hangingfrom the support surfaces formed by the slot 92.

The operative position of the valves is shown in FIG- URE l. The collar78, with the flapper inserted, is placed inside the valve chests 38 and36. Upstanding shoulders, stops or the like are utilized in the members36 and 38 to properly position the collars inside the cylindricalmembers. The 'valve covers 40 and 42 are then inserted and sealed ifdesired. For the inlet means 18, the collar is inserted with the flange82 as the outermost end. On the outlet side, the flange end isinnermost. This arrangement of the valves provides for the properoperation of the valves as will be explained.

Turning now to the operation of the present invention, the pump is firstplaced in an operative position by attaching it to a convenient surfaceby means of the suction cup 24. For example, it may be attached to thefender or trunk lid of the family automobile from which gasoline is tobe siphoned for use in a power lawnmower.

It may, of course, be permanently attached to the mower as an accessory.The stabilizer ring 28 will act against the outer surface of the suctioncup thereby preventing excessive rocking action while the pump is inuse.

The inlet tube 56 is placed within the container from which the fluid isto be withdrawn, and the outlet tube 58 is placed in the receivingcontainer. The pump is now ready to be operated and the person using thepump then pushes and pulls on the handle 34, causing the piston to movewithin the chamber 10 in a reciprocating manner. The cross-section areaof the shaft prevents the rotation of the shaft and any result-antdetrimental effect that this would have on the sliding seal.

The outstroke of the piston 60 will create a negative pressure in thesection of the chamber between the piston 60 and the end plate 16 whichdraws the fluid through the inlet means 18. The instroke of the piston60 will force the fluid that has been drawn into the chamber out of theoutlet means 20 and through the outlet tube 58 to the receivingcontainer. Thus the reciprocating piston functions to move the fluidthrough the pumpin the manner well known in the art of pumping.

During the outstroke of the piston 60, the fluid being drawn into thechamber will act against the flapper 80 in the inlet valve causing it tomove inwardly toward the piston chamber. N0 force will oppose thismovement of the flapper until it reaches the position shown in FIGURE 4,whereby the circular cross-sectional area of the disc 94 will contactthe narrower upper postions of the circular collar 78 and preventfurther movement of the flapper. Accordingly, the inlet valve is open toallow the fluid to enter the piston. During the outstroke, the outletvalve will close due to the suction created by the upstroke. The suctionwill cause the flapper 80 in this valve to also be drawn inwardly towardthe piston chamber. This flapper will, however, contact the lip 84 whichwill prevent further inward movement of the flapper. In this manner theoutlet valve is closed during the upstroke of the piston.

During the instroke of the piston 60, the flappers move in the reversedirections from those described above. At the end of the outstroke, thepiston is located in the position shown in FIGURE 1. Fluid or air hasbeen drawn into the piston chamber and during the instroke of thepiston, will be forced out of the chamber. As the instroke begins, thefluid or air in the chamber will cause an outwardly directed force to becreated against the flappers 80 in the two valves. This outward forcethe flapper 80 in the inlet valve to move away from the piston chamber,whereupon it will move against the rim 84, thereby closing the valve inthe inlet means.

The outward force acting against the flapper in the outlet valve,however, causes the flapper to move to its open position since suchmovement is unopposed, at least until it assumes the position shown inFIGURE 4. The continuation of a piston in its downwardly direction will,accordingly, force the fluid or air in the chamber out of the outletmeans and into the receiving container. The forces created by thereciprocating action of the piston 60 and by the movement of the fluiditself are sufiicient to maintain the valves in their desired position,depending upon the phases of the operation, and to insure the properpumping operation of the pump.

Turning to the piston utilized in the present invention, theconfiguration assumed by the piston when it is not subjected to theforces which are incurred when its motion is shown in FIGURE 1. When inthis configuration, the body portion 66 is essentially flat.

When the piston is in motion, it tends to assume the shape shown inFIGURE 2. Here the piston is moving in the direction of the arrow shown.The forces created by the shaft acting against the hub portion 62 and bythe friction created due to the sliding contact of the lips 70 and 72against the sidewall 12, cause the piston to assume a generally convexconfiguration in the direction of its movement. This is illustrated inFIGURE 2 by the bending shown in the body portion 66.

This bending results in a turning or rotating of the edge portion 68which is normally at approximately right angle to the body portion 66.The edge, and in turn the lips, turn away from the direction of movementthereby creating increased contact by the forwardmost or leading lip 72against the cylinder wall. The following or trailing lip 70 issufficiently flexible that it will yield as the lips rotate in theaforesaid manner, whereby contact between the lip 70 and the sidewall 12is constantly maintained.

When the piston is in motion, the greatest opposing forces will bearagainst its leading side and lip. The previously described twisting ofthe piston, resulting from the flexible nature of the body portion 66,places the greatest contact with the sidewall of the chamber on theleading lip, thereby insuring that the fluid or the air in the chamberwill not bypass the piston 60. In this same manner, the pressure isdecreased between the trailing lip 70 and the piston chamber, wherebythe minimum amount of force necessary to move the piston is maintained.It is to be understood that the trailing lip retains suflicient contactwith the sidewall 12 to prevent the bypassing of fluid or air around thelip and into the space defined by the angle between the two divergentlips 70 and 72.

During the movement of the piston in the direction opposite to the arrowshown in FIGURE 2, the action of the body portion 66 and the lips 70 and72 is reversed. In this manner the lip 70 becomes the leading lip, andthe lip 72, the trailing lip. The body portion 66 bows in the directionopposite of that shown in FIGURE 2. Therefore, in both the upstroke andthe downstroke, the maximum pressure or contact between the piston andthe chamber sidewall is maintained on the leading edge or lip where itis most needed. At the same time, pressure is reduced on the trailinglipto maintain the force necessary to operate the pump as small aspossible.

The operation of the second embodiment of the piston shown in FIGURE 3is the same as the operation of the one unit piston. The body portion166 bows in the same manner and the rotation or twisting of the lips 170and 172 is also the same. Although only a single-unit and double-unitpiston are shown and described herein, it is to be understood thatvarious other constructions of the piston may be utilized and stillemploy the invention disclosed herein.

As can be seen, therefore, the objects set forth at the outset areachieved by the present invention. A compact pump has been provided inwhich provides both reliable performance and ease of operation as wellas a device which is economical to manufacture. The pump which is thesubject matter of the present invention combines novel construction toinsure a properly functioning item which requires only a small force tooperate. The use of the suction cup allows the pump to be operated withonly one hand, freeing the other hand to direct and control the inlet oroutlet tubes, or for other purposes. The pumping apparatus disclosedherein may be made entirely from plastic thereby eliminating allmetallic parts and the resultant hazard of sparking. A pump has beendevised which is not harmed by contact with corrosive fluids, butmaintains its integral and airtight construction throughout.

A novel construction has been utilized for the piston used in thepresent invention whereby the sliding seal between the piston and thesidewalls of the chamber is maintained and is, in fact, increased at thecritical points of contact without the resultant increased forcerequired for the operation of the pump. A pump has been devised, theparts of which are susceptible of being fused together when constructedfrom the proper materials, whereby no leaks will result. The pumpingapparatus is sufliciently light and compact that it may be stored orcarried in only a small space, or it may be mounted as an accessory itemon the apparatus for which it is to be used to furnish fuel. A novelvalve construction has been utilized to provide a long-lasting andtrouble-free operation regardless of the substance which is pumpedassuming the proper selection of construction materials; and whichallows the valve to be constructed quickly and at a reasonable cost perunit.

The present invention, therefore, is well adapted to carry out theobjects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as othersinherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment of theinvention has been given for the purpose of disclosure, numerous changesin the detail of construction and the combination, shape, size andarrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A pump for fluids including,

an elongate cylinder,

an inlet valve communicating with a first end of said cylinder,

an outlet valve communicating with the first end of said cylinder,

a piston reciprocally mounted in said cylinder,

the piston being flexible such that it will bow when reciprocated, andincluding an outer peripheral edge,

a first lip extending generally axially from the edge of said piston, atleast the outermost rim of which is in constant contact with thechamber,

a second lip extending generally axially from the edge of the piston,and having at least its outermost rim in constant contact with thechamber, wherein,

the lip forwardmost in the direction of movement of the piston being intighter engagement with the piston when said piston is forced to moveand becomes bowed than when the piston is not bowed, thus insuring thatthe fluid will not bypass the piston, and

means for reciprocating the piston.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said lips are further defined asextending outwardly from said peripheral edge at divergent angles, eachof said lips tapering to a relatively narrow rim, said lips being theonly portion of the piston in contact with the chamber thereby forming aseal with the chamber.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein the piston is further defined asincluding,

a central hub,

said reciprocating means being connected to and exerting a force on thehub to move the piston,

a body portion extending radially from said hub,

the body portion having a first configuration when it is not in motion,a second configuration when it is mov ing in a one direction and a thirdconfiguration when moving in the opposite direction,

said first configuration being essentially flat and lying within thesame plane as the hub,

said second and third configurations being generally convex in thedirection of the movement of the piston,

said edge being substantially perpendicular to said plane when the bodyportion is flat but being turned slightly away from the direction ofmovement when the body portion assumes its convex configurations,whereby the lip forwardmost with respect to the direction of movement,is in tighter engagement with the chamber.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein:

said valves comprise flapper valves and including:

a suction cup extending outwardly from the first end of the cylinder toprovide means for stabii lizing the pump while in operation,

and wherein the cylinder has a cylinder head,

a shaft passing through an opening in the cylinder head connecting thereciprocating means to the piston,

the shaft and the opening in the cylinder head having a crosssectionalconfiguration such that rotation of the piston about an axis passingthrough the shaft is prevented.

5. The invention of claim 3 wherein the piston is comprised of twoelements,

the first element including the hub, the body portion and the edge,

the second element being an annular ring, having an inner surface forattachment to the edge of an outer surface for engagement with thechamber, and where- 1n,

the outer surface is at least partially comprised of the lips,

the inner surface has an annular rib portion, and

the edge has an annular groove for mating with the rib portion, wherebythe annular ring may be securely attached to the edge and from a part ofthe piston.

6. A pump including,

an enclosed piston chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port,

conveying means for introducing fluid that is to be pumped into thepiston chamber through the inlet port, and for removing the fluid fromthe chamber through the outlet port,

piston means, a portion thereof being reciprocally mounted in saidchamber,

valve means located in the inlet and outlet ports and being comprisedof,

a collar having a flange extending radially around the inner surface ofthe collar and forming a restricted opening in said collar for thepassage of the fluid,

a free-hanging disc having a diameter larger than said restrictedopening and being rotatably mounted in said collar adjacent the flangefor movement into seating engagement with said flange, whereby therestricted opening is closed when the disc is against the flange butopen when the disc is away from the flange,

support surfaces on one of said collar or disc, and

shoulders on the other of said collar or disc in supporting contact withsaid support surfaces, thereby forming means by which the disc issuspended and rotatably mounted in said collar.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein the collar is further defined asbeing cylindrical in shape and having a sidewall, and including,

a slot extending radially into the sidewall, adjacent the flange, and

said support surfaces are further defined as the portions of thesidewall forming the bottom of the slot.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein the portion of the piston meansreciprocally mounted within the chamber is further defined as including,

a flexible body portion,

a peripheral edge on said body portion which is generally at rightangles to the body portion,

a pair of flexible peripheral lips extending outwardly from the edge, atleast a portion of both lips contacting the chamber at all times,whereby each of said lips forms a sliding seal between the piston andthe chamber,

said body portion having a bowed configuration when the piston moves,whereby it has a generally convex shape in the direction of itsmovement,

said edge portion being turned slightly away from the direction ofmovement when said body portion is bowed due to its generally rightangle relationship with the body portion, and

the lip forwardmost to the direction of movement is in greater contactwith the compartment when the body portion of the piston is bowed by itsmotion.

9. in a reciprocating pump having a piston, cylinder and inlet andoutlet valves the improvement in the piston including,

a central hub,

a radial flexible disc extending from said hub,

a peripheral edge surrounding said disc, and

axial lips extending from said edge sealingly engaging the cylinder,

said flexible disc bowing as said piston reciprocates,

the lip forwardmost in the direction of reciprocation more tightlyengaging said cylinder as said disc bows.

10. In a reciprocating pump having a piston, a cylinder and inlet andoutlet valves, the improvement in the valve including;

a collar, including,

a radially extending internal flange defining a restricted passagethrough said collar,

a slot in the collar adjacent the flange, said slot formtwo supportsurfaces in the collar, and

a disc,

two shoulders extending outwardly from the disc and resting on saidsupport surfaces, whereby the disc is suspended within the collaradjacent the flange,

said disc being rotatable about an axis defined by the shoulders andsupport surfaces and having a closed position in which the disc seatsagainst said flange and closes said passage and an open position inwhich the disc is rotated away from the flange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,129,415 9/1938 Fontenot 103-1532,419,318 4/1947 Johnson 137-527 2,619,278 11/ 1952 Ackerman 230,922,913,293 11/1959 Dibley et al. 92-249 3,008,650 11/1961 Prokop 137-5272,386,668 10/1945 Douglas et al. 92243 3,176,595 5/1965 Schwartz 92249FOREIGN PATENTS 575,867 5/1924 France.

478,321 1/1938 Great Britain,

434,508 4/1948 Italy.

HENRY F. RADUAZO, Primary Examiner.

